América

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América is Cándido's wife, the mother of Socorro, and the sister of Resurrección — Cándido's first wife. She is just seventeen years old and four months pregnant at the start of the novel
She is Cándido's former sister-in-law — he left her older sister after she cheated on him and got together with América instead
Though she is closely connected to her family and culture back home in Tepoztlán, she chooses to follow Cándido to the United States despite being pregnant, out of love and loyalty
Before crossing the border, she had never broken the law in her life — making the illegal crossing a huge step for her

América is incredibly resilient — she keeps going through situations that would break most people
She alternates between periods of hope and periods of despair, but she does prove her strength and her natural ability to survive time and again
She is brave and practical — when Cándido is too injured to work, she takes it upon herself to go out and find a job, even though she is pregnant and frightened
She stands up to Cándido when he tries to stop her from seeking work, even though she is afraid
She is a devoted and loving mother — as soon as Socorro is born, América's focus shifts entirely to protecting her daughter

Like Cándido, her main dream is to find a stable job, rent a proper apartment, and build a decent life in the US
She believes deeply in the American dream — at least at first — and is willing to work extremely hard and endure very difficult conditions to achieve it
She values family above all else, both the family she left behind in Mexico and the new family she is building with Cándido
She wants safety, stability, and a future for her child — basic things that are constantly denied to her

América faces an almost constant stream of hardship throughout the novel:
- She works in dangerous conditions with harmful chemicals while pregnant
- She is cheated out of pay and touched inappropriately by her employer, Jim Shirley
- She is violently raped, which leaves her with a lasting infection
- She gives birth outdoors in the middle of a wildfire, with only a cat for company
- She loses her baby daughter Socorro in the final flood
She is always frightened — afraid of the place, the people, and the constant danger around her — yet she continues to push forward

She is young and naïve, and at times she questions Cándido's ability to keep them safe and provide for them
On multiple occasions she deeply regrets ever agreeing to come to the United States — feeling that back in Mexico she at least had food and a roof over her head
Towards the end of the novel she shuts down completely — refusing to leave the shelter, rocking back and forth, and withdrawing from Cándido — a sign of how much trauma she has endured

América represents the harsh reality faced by undocumented immigrant women in particular — who are vulnerable not only to poverty and deportation, but also to sexual violence and exploitation
Her suffering is symbolic of a much longer history — connecting to the colonisation of the Americas, where native and mixed-heritage women were similarly exploited and abused by those with more power
She serves as a strong contrast to Kyra — both women are central to their families, but América has almost no power or protection, while Kyra has both
By the end of the novel, América comes to understand that most of what has happened to them is not Cándido's fault — and that he is, at heart, a good man
Despite losing everything, she survives — and her resilience is one of the most powerful elements of the story